There have been 11,000 acres in New Jersey burned in forest fires this year, Greg McLaughlin, the state administrator for Forests & Natural Lands, said this week. The state has averaged about 4,000 acres per year since 2000, McLaughlin said.

The Jennings Creek Fire in New Jersey has burned nearly 4,300 acres. It's about half contained as firefighters have performed controlled burns, getting rid of dry vegetation that could otherwise fuel the blaze.

The actions came as conditions in some northeast states are the driest they’ve been in nearly 120 years as numerous wildfires continue to burn in places that haven’t seen significant rain since August.

New Jersey’s dry fall is presenting challenges to firefighters battling a wildfire that has consumed more than 5 square miles in West Milford.

Drought conditions in the New York area are still fueling the Jennings Creek Fire along the New York-New Jersey state line. CBS News correspondent Tom Hanson has the latest from Hewitt, New Jersey.